Electrical detector for railway switches



T. E. D. MARKS ET AL ELECTRICAL DETECTOR F'OR RAILWAY SWITCHES Filed Feb. 28, 1929 SYShutS-Sheet 1 Sept. 23, 1930.

T. E. D. MARKS L ELECTRICAL DETECTOR FOR RAILWAY 591130825 3 Shoots-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28, 1929 T. an. maxs E AL- ELEcTRIGAL iJB'l'ECTOR FOR RAILWAY SWITCHES Son. 23, 1930.

3 Shoots-She'd 3 Filed Feb. 28, 1929 INVENTORS'. 7TE.D. 4ar 15, R. Pa drnara Patented Sept. 23, 1930 sraras PATENT SOUTH WALES, AND BER- TRAM READ PADMORE, 0]? CAULFIEL'D, VICTQRIA,'AUSTRAIJIA, ASSIGNOESTO THE UNION SWITCH AND SIGNAL OOMPAN Y, 0F SNISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA ELECTRICAL DETECTOR F03. RAILW'AY SWITCHES Application filed February 28, 1929, Serial No. 343,308, and 1'11 Australia March 16, 1928.

The present invention refers to electrical detectors for railway switches, and has been devised to provide facilities and advantages not previously present in such apparatus, ineluding simplification of manufacture and in which a standard production for a com pound switch may alsobe used without difiiculty either in the right or left positions relaive to a track or with the removal of certain parts for single switch operation.

etectors of the type mentioned provide means whereby an electric'supply current to a relay or relays controlling levers operating signals or switches, is controlled at points so that the power and relay current circuits shall be disconnected and/or disconnected and short circuited following the setting up of the events.

According to the improvements in the tioned comprise:

a) Improved means to short circuit the relay circuit when conditions require the relayto be deenergized.

Improved means to enable either switch tongue to perform all functions in connection with a switch detector circuit.

(a) Means whereby any one of any number of switch tongues will separately and indepresent invention the apparatus beforemenpendently efi'ect all functions in connection with the switch detector circuit.

("(Z) Means whereby energy may be applied to an electrical circuit when the plunger is moved more than its locked position.

e) Improved means whereby the detector may be placed outside the track and may be applied to either right or left hand layouts without the use of additional apparatus.

Improved means whereby movement of any one or all tongues and /or the point block plunger shall first disconnect the relay circuit from the power supply and then short circuit the relay as required.

Means whereby movement of any one or all tongues and/or the point lock plunger shall not set up sh rt circuiting of the power supply.

(it) Means provided permitting especially fine ustment in the opening and/or closing a stipulated distance from Y the contacts operated by each tongue inclependently of the other tongues.

Means in the detector whereby the opening of the power supply to the relay, can be made to synchronize With the opening-of oFFicE.

any one tongue to a predetermined point independently of the other tongues.

Means in the detector whereby the short circuiting of the relay circuit can be made to synchronize with the opening of any tongue to a 'predetermine ently of the other tongues.

he accompanying drawings depict a practical application of these improvements and the incorporation of same for a compound switch assembly although the improvements are equally applicable to a single switch, a derail switch to the case of a trailing point Where a point lock rod may not be fitted, or multiple working on'mixed gauge involving three or more points.

In these. drawing:--

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the detector, for

compound switch working involving two pairs of points, with the cover removed to show the interior mechanism.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken on iine II II Fig. 1. I

Fig. 8 is a sectional elevational view taken on line III-III Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan view of a pivoted switch.

Fig. 5 is a modification of the lever arm shown in Fig. i for use in a single point blade switch.

(3 and 7 lever arm included in the compound detector are enlarged vertical sectional views of cams hereinafter described.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail vertical cross sectional view taken on line VIII-VIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line IXIX in Fig. 1.

Figs. 10 and 11 are diagrams showing right and left gle switches respectively.

The connecting rod C from a switch point B is made through an operating crank 12 atached to a spindle 13 in the usual manner.

The spindle 13 is supported in a bearing hand layouts for compound and 'sin -rangements in the detector an associated spindle gers 20,

- its associated lever arm 22, one of hrs ket ll secured to the ex rerior wall of the detector case by screws 16.

The bracket 1% is provided at its inner enr with a spigot joint 17 engaging a co-acting faucet recess in the case 15 so that the bracket 1st with its spindle 13 and operating crank can be interchanged in position to suit right and left hand layouts as required.

The interchange is effected by removing the screws 16 changing over the brackets it and rotating same through 180 degrees and attaching same to the case with the set screws.

To enable the interchange mentioned to be effected without interference with interior arcase, each spindle 13 is arranged to suitably mesh as at 13 with l The spindle 19 carries a pair of cam finthe assembly of which issuch that a terminal recess 21 on one earn is operative in relation to the lowered position of a lever arm 22, while the terminal 21 on the other cam is inoperative in respect of said position with said arms 22 being shown in raised posaaon and the other in lowered position in Fig.

In the case of a single switch the lever arm 22 conforms to the construct on shown in Fig.

5 and for compound working to the forn'r shown in Fig. t. It will be convenient. however, to proceed with the description of one unit in the apparatus.

Each cam finger is mounted upon an arm 23 (fixed to the spindle 19) by means of an arcuate slot 24 and through bolt 25 by which means a specially fine adjustment can be elfected of each cam fi .ger 20 relative to its associated clever arm 22. That is to say where required the higher working face on the cam finger can be made to operate closer to or further away from the arm relative to the recess 21. The lever arm 22 is in contact with its associated cam finger 20 by means of a roller 26 and is pivotally supported from the wall of the case 15 as at 27.

The free end of each lever arm 22 extends beneath a plate 28 which is secured to and extends downwardly from an insulating block 29 carried by a leaf spring contact 30 (see Fig. 8). This contact is mounted on a terminal block 31 for engagement with an upwardly extending contact 32 mounted on a terminal block 32 (see Fig. 9). \Vhen the cam finger 2O occupies its extreme counter-clockwise position shown in the drawings, the recess 21 therein registers with the roller 26 and permits the arm 22 to swing downwardly and the spring contact 30 to engage its associated contact 32 lVhen, however, the cam finger 20 is rocked in a clockwise direction, its higher working face elevates the roller 26 and arm 22 so as to raise the spring contact 30 out ofengagement with its contact 32 and open the circuit therethrough.

--spring contacts Each insulation block 29 is fitted with two of the spring contacts 30 as shown in Figures 1 and 8, and in all cases where lock rod detection is also required the block is fitted with a roller 33 coacting with a cam 3 L (see Fig. 6) fixed on a transverse shaft 35. This shaft is actuated by the switch lock rod (not shown) through the medium of an arm 36 (see Fig. 3) which is provided with a terminal roller I 37 for engagement with a-cam path cut in the lock rod passing under the detector case. The contour of this cam path is so designed that the first movement of the switch lock plunger (before such movement is sufficient to unlock the points) causes the shaft mentioned to rock over from a position say at right side of thecentre, to a midway position where it will remain until the plunger has again locked the points in the alternate position, after which by completing its full travel will rock the "shaft over to the left side of the centre to its other position. When the shaft 35 is in the midway position, the high part of cam 34: will be operating to hold up the spring contact 30 and thereby open a circuit through the latter and the upturned contact- 32. That is to say the cam 34 operates in addition to the lever arm 22 to control a sprin contact 30.

. Re erring particularly to Figs. 1 and f) it will benoted that in addition to the contact 32 the terminal block. 32 is provided with a bracket 12 carrying a short circuiting bridging strip 413 which may be constructed of a pair of strips so that same can be lengthened to bridge more than two or all of the 30in the detector, four of which are shown in the compound switch arrangement in Figure 1 with a f'urthgr fifth spring contact 37 similar to the spring contacts 30 but which is not controlled by a lever 22 (see right hand side of Fig. This spring contact 37, conveniently termed. the special contact 37, is controlled only by a cam 38 also on the shaft 35 (see Fig. 7). The function of said special contact 37 is to control a circuit depending upon the posh 'tion of the lock rod only. Normally with switch points in correct position the high part of cam 38 will support its co-actiug spring contact 37 out of contact with its associated upturned contact 32 but directly any motion is applied to the lock rod, in a s st-em such as that of electro-pneumatic operation of switch points where a movement of the said rod is utilized to control a supply of air to the point actuating cylinder, the cam recess 39 becomes operative to allow the spring contact 37 to drop on to its contact 32 and restore power to the cylinder.

It will be appreciated that, as shown in the illustrated example, each switch point, through the pair of cam fingers 2O controlled thereby, will control all contact springs 30 in such a manner t at e le s t e p r i switch point under consideration has as sumed its correct position the springs 30 will be held in the raised position opening the electrical circuits through each one'to its respective upturned contact piece In addition when t e contact springs 30 are held in their raised positions, a short circuit will be made between two or more of the springs 30 through strip 43 according to the length of this strip.

The circuits through each pair of contact springs 30 may be arranged to controlreverse polarity current flow through a single relay having three positions. The whole of said contact springs 30 will also, as before described, be controlled by the position of the switch point lock plunger through the pair of cams 34 in the shaft 35.

e terminal blocks 31 and 82 are secured in the detector case by screws 39 on internal shoulders 40 (see Fig. 2) thus rendering it possible to remove from the casing as an entirety all of the mechanism carried by the terminal blocks 81 and 32. This facilitates replacement or adjustn ent of cam fin- 20 The lever arms 22 are also readily removable by removing the pivot pins 41 securing same to the case.

1. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a bearing bracket detachably secured to the exterior wall of said case and adapted to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the location of the detector relative to the switch, and a spindle mounted in said bracket for operation by a switch point.

2. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a plurality of bearing brackets detachably secured'externally to the side of the case and adapted to be selectively interchanged in position according to the position of the detector relative to theswitch, and spindles mounted in said bearing brackets for operation by switch points.

3. In electrical detectors for switches, a case, a bearing bracket secured to the exterior railway detachably wall of said case and adapted to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the location of the detector relative to the switch, a spindle mounted in said bearing bracket for operation by a switch point, a pair of cam fingers mounted within said case for operation by said spindle, a pair of leaf spring contacts operated by said spring fingers and arranged to occupy certain positions corresponding to normal and abnormal positions of said switch point.

4. In electrical detectors for 'ailwa switches, a case, a first spindle mounted in said case, a bearing bracket detachably secured to the wall of said case and adapted to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the location of the detector relative to the switch, a second spindle located in said bearing bracket for engagement with said first spindle and adapted to be operated by a switch point, a pair of cam fingers mounted on said first spindle, a pair of leaf spring contacts operated by said cam fingers and arranged to occupy certain positions corresponding to normal. and ab normal positions of said switch point.

5. In electrical detectors for railway switches, case, a plurality of bearing bra-ckets detachably of said case and adapted to be selectively interchanged in position according to the vside of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in each of saidbearing brackets, a said spindles and a pair tacts operated by said cam fingers.

6.: In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a plurality of bearing brackets detachably secured eXternally'to the side of said case and adapted to be selectively in.- terchanged in positionaccording to the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in each of said brackets, a pair said spindles, a pair of leaf spring contacts operated by said cam fingers, and means for short circuiting said spring contacts.

7 In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a plurality'of bearing brackets detachably secured externally to the side of said case and adapted to be selectively interchanged in position according to the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in each of said bearing brackets for operation by a switch point, a pair of leaf spring contacts mounted in said case, a pair of cam fingers operated by said spindles and provided with terminal recesses in their operating faces for effecting the movement of said spring contacts, and means for adjusting the radial length of said cam fingers relative to the point of opening and closing of said spring contacts.

8. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a plurality of bearing brackets detachably secured externally to the side of said case and adapted to be selectively interchanged in position according to the side of the switch on which the detectoris located, a spindle mounted in each of said bearing brackets for operation by a switch point, pair of leaf spring contacts mounted in said case, arms mounted on said spindle, cam fingers mounted on said arms and adapted to operate said spring contacts, and means for ad usting said cam fingers on said arms relative to the points of opening and closing of said spring contacts.

9. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a plurality of bearing brackets detachably secured externally to the side of said case and adapted to be selectively insecuredexternally to the side pair of cam fingers-operated by v of leaf spring con-.

bearing of cam fingers operated by e spring contact mounted in said case pair of leaf spring contacts mounted in said case, arms mounted on said spindle, cam fingers mounted on said arms and adapted to operate said spring contacts, and means for adjusting said cam fingers on said arms relative to the points of opening and closing of said spring contacts, said means comprising bolts passing through arcuate slots in the arms carrying the fingers.

10. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a

bearing bracket detachably secured to the exterior wall of said case and adapted to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in said bearing bracket for operation by a switch point, a cam finger mounted on said spindle, an arm pivoted at one end on said case for operation by said cam finger, and a leaf for operation by said arm.

11. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a bearing bracket detachably secured to the exterior wall of said case and adapted to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in said bearing bracket for operation by a switch point, a plurality of terminal blocks mounted in said case, a fixed contact mounted on one of said terminal blocks, a leaf spring contact mounted on another of said terminal blocks for engagement with said fixed contact, an arm pivoted at one end on said case for operating said spring contact, and a cam finger mounted on said spindle for operating said arm. 7

12. In electrical detectors for railway switches, a case, a bearing bracket detachably secured to the exterior wall of said case and adapted to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions accordingto the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in said bearing bracket for operation by a switch point, a plurality of terminal blocks mounted in said case, a fixed contact mounted on one of said terminal blocks, a leaf spring contact mounted on another of said terminal blocks for engagement with said fixed contact, an arm pivoted on said case for operating said spring contact, a cam finger mounted on said spindle for operating said arm, a rockshaft mounted in said case for operation by a switch point plunger, and a cam on said rockshaft for operating said spring contacts independently of said arm.

detectors for railway 13. In electrical switches, a case, a bearing bracket detachably secured to the exterior wall of said case and adapt-ed to be selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in said bearing bracket for operation by a switch point, a plurality of terminal blocks mounted in said case, fixed contacts mounted on certain of said terminal blocks, a first leaf spring contact mounted on one of said terminal blocks for engagement with one of said fixed contacts, an arm pivoted on said case for operating said first spring contact, acam finger mount-ed on said spindle for operating said arm, a rockshaft mounted in said case for operation by a switch point plunger, a first cam on said rockshaft for operating said first spring contact independently of said arm, a second spring contact mounted on one of said terminal blocks for engagement with anotherof said fixed .contacts, and a second cam on said rockshaft for operating said second spring contact.

14-. In electrical, detectors for railway switches, a case, a plurality of bearing brackets detachably secured to the exterior wall of said case and adapted to be. selectively positioned thereon in right and left hand positions according to the side of the switch on which the detector is located, a spindle mounted in each of said bearing brackets for operation by a switch point, a plurality of terminal blocks mounted in said case, a plurality of fixed contacts mounted on one of said terminal blocks, a plurality of leaf spring contacts mounted on another of said terminal blocks for movement intoand out of engagement with said fixed contacts, an arm pivoted at one end on said case for operating each of said springv contacts, 5.-

cam finger mounted on each of said spindles for operating said arms, and a short circuiting bridging strap mounted on one of said terminal blocks for engagement by certain of said spring contacts when moved out of engagement with their associated fixed contacts.

THOMAS EWVING DUDLEY MARKS. BERTRAM READ PADMORE. 

